Planting, caring for and cutting cornflowers

With bright yellow flowers, the Maideneye is a beautiful addition to any perennial border. The plant is particularly suitable for use in cottage gardens, but can also be used in tub plantings.

The girl's eye (Coreopsis) is also called pretty face. With its long-lasting, lush flowers, it not only impresses us humans - bees and other insects also benefit from it. You can find out more about the properties, correct planting and care of this undemanding bedding plant below.

Maiden's eye: origin and characteristics

Besides the name beautiful face, the girl's eye is also known as the bug flower. It is native to parts of South America and the arid prairies and forests of North America. The genus includes about 115 species and is classified in the daisy family (Asteraceae).

The beautiful face is known for its bright yellow flowers, which it bears from June to September or October, but it now comes in various other color variations. The flowers can be filled or unfilled and shine in white, orange, pink or red.

The growth height of the plants also varies greatly from species to species: some grow to a height of around 20 to 60 cm, while others even reach heights of up to two meters. The growth habit ranges from densely bushy to herbaceous to long-stemmed.

Tip: The lady's eye species in particular, whose flowers are on long stalks, are ideal for use as long-lasting cut flowers.

The leaf shapes within the genus are also very variable, for example lanceolate, elliptical, tripartite or pinnate. They are usually medium to dark green in color and arranged alternately or oppositely. About the special differences of the Girl's Eye Varieties and Types you can find out more in our special article.

Is the damsel's eye perennial? For the most part, the lady's eye is a short-lived perennial whose lifespan can be extended somewhat by optimal site conditions. Regular propagation keeps the Maideneye permanently in the garden. But there is also the one-year-old dyer's girl's eye (Coreopsis tinctoria).

Is the girl's eye bee friendly? The pollen and nectar levels of the flowering plant are only moderate, which is why the lady's eye is not particularly bee-friendly. At least its flowers offer a source of food over a longer period of time.

Plant girl's eye

Although the beautiful face is quite undemanding, depending on the species, there are certain locations where it thrives very well. Furthermore, there are a few things to consider when sowing and planting.

The right location

What most species of tickseed have in common is the need for a sunny, non-waterlogged location. The light and warmth-loving plants feel particularly comfortable in light, nitrogen-rich and summer-dry soil. Most species are best planted in small groups - but there are species that prefer to be alone or others that prefer to be planted in larger groups. The preferred living areas range from beds to open spaces and rock gardens to the edge of trees. For most species, the soil should be fresh. Ultimately, you always have to find out about the respective one before you buy it Coreopsis-Kind of inform.

The best suited for planting in a pot is the Little Girl's Eye (Coreopsis lanceolata) because of its limited growth height. Smaller species can even be cultivated in flower boxes on a south or south-west facing balcony. A permeable, nutrient-rich pot plant soil should be used as a substrate, which are mixed with 1/3 expanded clay or another structural material for better drainage should. For example, ours is suitable for this Plantura organic potting soil very good, because it is already enriched with quality compost and organic fertilizer, which cover the plant's nutritional needs.

Sowing of Maize

The propagation of the beautiful face is particularly worthwhile for the short-lived species. Below you will find out how to do this and when the right time is.

• When: under glass/ indoors from March; Sow outdoors from the end of April.
• Fill the planter with seed soil.
• Only cover the seeds with a little soil or simply press them down lightly.
• Keep soil evenly moist and place in a bright place.
• Temperatures for germination around 20 °C, then cool down.
• Note: some species such as B. Coreopsis major, Coreopsis tripteris and Coreopsis palmata require cold stratification. This means treating the seeds with a cold stimulus, which interrupts dormancy.

Tip: The girls' eye can be propagated not only by sowing, but also by division and cuttings. We explain how this works in the article on the propagation of Coreopsis.

Procedure for planting

From mid-May you can plant your young plants in the ground. For this purpose, the planting hole is dug in a sunny place with about 1.5 times the volume of the root ball. If the soil is rather poor, it is best to mix some compost under the excavation. In the case of heavy, compacted soil, sand or something similar should be lifted underneath to increase permeability. Now the pretty face is put back into the ground just as deep as before in the plant pot.

If the sociability of your chosen species allows group planting, you should ensure sufficient planting distance. Lower specimens such as the Lesser Tickseed or the Needle-Leaved Tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata) are satisfied with a distance of 35 cm, while the high girl's eye (Coreopsis tripteris) prefers to stand alone and needs a distance of about 120 cm. Finally, do not forget to press down and generously water the soil.

Combine girl's eye: The Maideneye is best combined with other perennials that have similar requirements, i.e. themselves also feel comfortable in a loose, nutrient-rich bed and classified in the same areas of life are. For example, are suitable for this blanket flowers (Gaillardia), sun hats (Echinacea), Indian nettles (Monarda), catnip (Nepeta) and sun bride (Helenium).

Care of the girl's eye: cutting and Co.

The Maideneye is a low-maintenance beauty when planted in the right location.

Water and fertilize

Since the lady's eye feels comfortable in locations that are dry in summer, it also has no problem with intermittent dry phases. However, the soil should generally be rather fresh, so occasional watering during dry periods is conducive to normal growth. If the plant is in a pot, it should be watered more frequently.

The high nutrient requirement of the beautiful face can be covered with a long-term fertilizer in granular form. For example, our is suitable for this Plantura organic flower fertilizer with a particularly high proportion of organic matter. This ensures a slow-flowing release and therefore stable, resilient plants. Only fertilize in spring so as not to endanger the frost hardiness of your lady's eye.

Cut girl's eye

Some species of the damsel's-eye have a repeated flowering behavior, which means: After the first flowering, a second flowering stage is provoked by a cut. After the end of the flowering period, a pruning can be carried out and a covering of leaves or twigs can be applied for overwintering. A winter hardiness down to at least – 17 °C is attributed to the beautiful face and it is therefore sufficiently frost hardy.

Another important care measure is dividing the damsel's eye in the spring, which is recommended primarily because of the short lifespan of the individual individuals. This will always give you new plants that can be planted elsewhere.

diseases and pests

A disease that occasionally troubles the girl's eye is that powdery mildew, which spreads quickly in summer on cool nights. Also, you should possibly have one snail protection think about your plants as these, just like aphids (Aphididae), like to pay a visit to the beautiful face.

Is the girl's eye poisonous?

The girls' eye is not poisonous and therefore completely harmless to humans and animals. One species, namely the dyer's girl's eye, is even said to have a health-promoting effect. In North America, Europe and Asia, the plant has long been considered a traditional medicine. The flowers were boiled to make a drink, and the roots were steeped in a tea said to cure diarrhea and stomach aches.
The main use of the plant, however, was the use of the flower to dye fabrics.

Another plant that also has a historical history as a dye plant is the safflower (Carthamus tinctorius). Not only would it make a good neighbor for the girl's eye, but it is also an excellent and unusually long-lasting cut flower itself.